Papua New Guinea vs South Korea
Papua New Guinea vs South Korea: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 15.8% in Papua New Guinea and 81.2% in South Korea, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 65.4 percentage points, or 5.14 times that in Papua New Guinea.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Papua New Guinea ranked 226 and South Korea ranked 59 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Papua New Guinea at 32.4% and South Korea at 83.3% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Papua New Guinea | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15.8 | 81.2 |
| 2024 | 15.4 | 81.2 |
| 2023 | 15.1 | 81.2 |
| 2022 | 14.7 | 81.2 |
| 2021 | 14.4 | 81.2 |
| 2020 | 14.2 | 81.2 |
| 2019 | 13.9 | 81.3 |
| 2018 | 13.7 | 81.4 |
| 2017 | 13.5 | 81.5 |
| 2016 | 13.4 | 81.6 |
| 2015 | 13.2 | 81.6 |
| 2014 | 13.1 | 81.7 |
| 2013 | 13.1 | 81.8 |
| 2012 | 13 | 81.9 |
| 2011 | 13 | 82 |
| 2010 | 13 | 82 |
| 2009 | 13 | 81.9 |
| 2008 | 13 | 81.8 |
| 2007 | 13 | 81.7 |
| 2006 | 13.1 | 81.6 |
| 2005 | 13.1 | 81.4 |
| 2004 | 13.1 | 81.1 |
| 2003 | 13.1 | 80.7 |
| 2002 | 13.2 | 80.3 |
| 2001 | 13.2 | 79.9 |
| 2000 | 13.2 | 79.6 |
| 1999 | 13.3 | 79.4 |
| 1998 | 13.5 | 79.2 |
| 1997 | 13.8 | 79 |
| 1996 | 14 | 78.8 |
| 1995 | 14.4 | 78.4 |
| 1994 | 14.7 | 77.9 |
| 1993 | 14.9 | 77.1 |
| 1992 | 15.2 | 76.2 |
| 1991 | 15.3 | 75.2 |
| 1990 | 15.4 | 74 |
| 1989 | 15.3 | 72.5 |
| 1988 | 15.1 | 70.6 |
| 1987 | 14.9 | 68.6 |
| 1986 | 14.5 | 66.6 |
| 1985 | 14.2 | 64.8 |
| 1984 | 13.8 | 63.2 |
| 1983 | 13.5 | 61.5 |
| 1982 | 13.3 | 60 |
| 1981 | 13.1 | 58.3 |
| 1980 | 13.1 | 56.7 |
| 1979 | 13.1 | 54.9 |
| 1978 | 13.1 | 53.1 |
| 1977 | 13.1 | 51.3 |
| 1976 | 13.1 | 49.6 |
| 1975 | 13 | 48 |
| 1974 | 12.7 | 46.5 |
| 1973 | 12.2 | 45.2 |
| 1972 | 11.7 | 43.8 |
| 1971 | 11.1 | 42.4 |
| 1970 | 10.2 | 40.7 |
| 1969 | 9.1 | 38.7 |
| 1968 | 7.8 | 36.5 |
| 1967 | 6.6 | 34.6 |
| 1966 | 5.9 | 33.1 |
| 1965 | 5.4 | 32 |
| 1964 | 5 | 31 |
| 1963 | 4.6 | 30.1 |
| 1962 | 4.2 | 29.2 |
| 1961 | 3.8 | 28.5 |
| 1960 | 3.5 | 27.7 |
| 1959 | 3.1 | 27 |
| 1958 | 2.9 | 26.3 |
| 1957 | 2.6 | 25.7 |
| 1956 | 2.4 | 25.1 |
| 1955 | 2.2 | 24.4 |
| 1954 | 2 | 23.6 |
| 1953 | 1.9 | 22.9 |
| 1952 | 1.8 | 22.1 |
| 1951 | 1.7 | 21.3 |
| 1950 | 1.7 | 20.6 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Papua New Guinea | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 16.2 | 81.2 |
| 2027 | 16.6 | 81.2 |
| 2028 | 17.1 | 81.2 |
| 2029 | 17.5 | 81.2 |
| 2030 | 18 | 81.3 |
| 2031 | 18.5 | 81.3 |
| 2032 | 19.1 | 81.3 |
| 2033 | 19.6 | 81.4 |
| 2034 | 20.2 | 81.4 |
| 2035 | 20.8 | 81.4 |
| 2036 | 21.5 | 81.5 |
| 2037 | 22.1 | 81.6 |
| 2038 | 22.8 | 81.6 |
| 2039 | 23.5 | 81.7 |
| 2040 | 24.2 | 81.8 |
| 2041 | 24.9 | 81.9 |
| 2042 | 25.7 | 82 |
| 2043 | 26.5 | 82.1 |
| 2044 | 27.2 | 82.3 |
| 2045 | 28.1 | 82.4 |
| 2046 | 28.9 | 82.6 |
| 2047 | 29.7 | 82.7 |
| 2048 | 30.6 | 82.9 |
| 2049 | 31.5 | 83.1 |
| 2050 | 32.4 | 83.3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Papua New Guinea vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyPapua New Guinea: 66.1 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityPapua New Guinea: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityPapua New Guinea: 32.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionPapua New Guinea: 3.17% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide ratePapua New Guinea: 23.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationPapua New Guinea: 10.4 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthPapua New Guinea: 1.8% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility ratePapua New Guinea: 3.1 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Median agePapua New Guinea: 22.3 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overPapua New Guinea: 3.3% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration ratePapua New Guinea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personPapua New Guinea: $2,665 in 2025South Korea: $37,470 in 2025
- GDP growthPapua New Guinea: 3.9% a year in 2024South Korea: 1.1% a year in 2025
- InflationPapua New Guinea: 4.4% a year in 2025South Korea: 2.1% a year in 2025
- Government debtPapua New Guinea: 51.6% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 49.6% of GDP in 2024
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingPapua New Guinea: 0.35% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsPapua New Guinea: $110M in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personPapua New Guinea: $10 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingPapua New Guinea: 1.6% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelPapua New Guinea: 4,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerPapua New Guinea: 0.03% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersPapua New Guinea: 0.12% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsPapua New Guinea: 9 million TIV in 2023South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
- CO₂ per personPapua New Guinea: 0.52 tonnes in 2024South Korea: 11.36 tonnes in 2024
- Internet usersPapua New Guinea: 18.8% in 2024South Korea: 97.9% in 2024
- Access to electricityPapua New Guinea: 43.3% in 2024South Korea: 100% in 2024
- Forest areaPapua New Guinea: 75.2% in 2024South Korea: 64.4% in 2024